Lucidity Obscure
by JrOeKnEeRe
Summary: What he was seeing was enough to question everything he knew. Her figure, gestures, posture, everything gave away who she belonged to but nothing could ever reveal where she came from.Arthur grasped his totem hard, this isn't a dream, this is real.OC.1shot


**.**

**Lucidity Obscure**

_Je Ne Sais Quoi_

_n._

_French_

_something elusive, or hard to describe or express_

**-Inception-**

By: JrOeKnEeRe

**1**

**Transfusions**

"That's impossible. No, it's delusional. First I thought inception was your most craziest idea. But now...You're gone Cobbs, you're insane. What you're talking about not only defies the boundary between dreams and reality, it completely exceeds the very structure of humanity. Do you have any idea what-" Arthur nearly choked on the sudden image thrust before them. Cobbs had opened the back door of their workshop, the chemical laboratory. And what he was seeing was enough to question everything he knew, change every belief he ever had and inflame the very core of his mind.

Cobbs walked into the room, leaving Arthur stunned and completely paralyzed.

Playing with the ends of her long strands, Cobbs moved in front of her. She laughed sweetly at his sudden appearance. Her back facing the door. Smoothing her chocolate waves, she leaned into her father's hand as he caressed her face. "Hi dad," unaware of the irrational phrase.

Arthur took everything in. She sat on the lab table. Her green shirt matched the test tube's liquids, she laughed again as Cobbs said something he couldn't hear. Her figure, waist, posture, everything gave away who she belonged to. Slim arms rest neatly by her side, skin radiated the same way her father's did from the sun beating into their pores. How can she be so mature? So old yet so young. She's not even supposed to _be_.

He grabbed the side of the door frame, plunged his hand into his pocket and brought his totem out. Feeling the weight, moving it over his fingers, this isn't a dream. This is real.

"I want you to meet someone," Dom watched Arthur clutch onto the dice and stare at it with a piercing gaze. But slowly and hesitatingly, the bewildered young man looked up just as she turned his way.

With one look, he whispered. "Impossible."

"You told him?" she shot up, the table swaying slightly from the sudden movement. Few test tubes clinked together. She steadied them to prevent any damage. "I thought you were going to tell everyone together?"

"I wanted to tell Arthur first since you two needed to meet before-"

"Cobbs," he took a step forward. They both looked to him. Another step. "Do you-you're not lying are you?"

A sympathetic look, Dom shook his head, a few blonde strands fell from their gelled position. He walked around the table with his hand still wrapped in hers. He looked closely at Arthur, wondering if he should keep going. "You doing okay?"

He could only nod, now standing at an appropriate distance.

"Okay," Dom placed his arm across her tan shoulders. "Arthur, this is Maera. She knows who you are and I've told her to answer any questions you have."

...

"You still okay?"

He nods. She smiles.

Arthur cleared his throat, shifting around in his seat, combing his sleek black hair with uncooperative fingers. But he quickly realized how unprofessional he was taking this. She was right, he was curious but embarrassed as well. "I, uhm, apologize for my behavior. I just-"

"I know. You're taking this better than we thought. When they found me lying between them, they backed away so fast, nearly knocked over every piece of furniture in the room and stared for two hours before one of them actually spoke. Never mind how I was handling everything."

"How _were _you-" he sat straighter, leaned closer. "Handling it," and regained some of his dignity.

"The same. I mean, when you truly believe you're going to vanish, never exist again, then you wind up in the same room with them, with an actual heartbeat, an actual body that aged ten times as it was and the feeling of being alive. _Real _alive, not dreamed existing, but actually being real," she chuckled, smoothing her hair back and shaking her head excitedly. "The first breath you take is beyond words- Is this okay? I mean the way I'm describing everything- I know it's hard to understand believe me-"

"No, no, you're doing perfect. I'm understanding, it's just taking awhile," he stood now, circling their lounge chairs. Cobbs was in the other room, brainstorming more detailed plans, trying to perfect every move. The flight was tomorrow and they had a lot to do still. "Let me ask you something, how did they do this? I mean, Cobbs and Mal created you from their minds, pictured you with so much detail, so much depth that you became a reality?"

She stood as well. Both were uncomfortable with just sitting. Neither could stop staring. She was the first to look away, trying to get the words straight. Make it as clear as she could. "When they entered limbo, they knew what it was. But as time went further, it became hazy especially for my mother. Limbo became her reality. The moment it did, quite simply she created me. It wasn't just her idea though; it was my father's as well. They just didn't know they were creating the same idea together. You see, they missed Phillipa and James so much as to imagine another. From a baby to fourteen years of age, they thought of it all: every detail, flaw, personality, everything in a human being. When you have the time that they did," she paused. The way he was looking at her, keeping himself completely still, not breathing until she took a breath herself. He was so absorbed it rather intrigued her.

"When the time came for them to return to reality, they went to the tracks and waited for the train. They never explained why. I mean, out of fifty years in limbo, why would they suddenly want to leave? Ten years after they arrived was when I was created, it took forty years for me to turn fourteen. Nothing could explain my aging, nothing ever will, but it didn't matter. When they rest their heads on the railing, I stood to the side, weeping from our previous goodbyes. So afraid of dissolving into nothing, never existing again, being without my parents; that at the last moment before impact, I jumped, landed between them and held on. The train hit, they woke up, only I was with them. Ten years older and coughing on authentic oxygen-"

"You became a human being," he finished for her, engaging in the conversation with such passion, she could not help but to feel so as well.

"Yes," she let go of the chair, laughing slightly from his reaction.

"And now you're going to help us-"

"Not like you think," Dom walked in, only not alone. The rest of the team was behind him.

Eames was the first to step into the workshop. "Maera," he smiled, slapping Dom on the chest before walking further in. He spread his arms boyishly and did a little bounce to his step. Arthur was just about to ask what he was doing when Maera brushed past him and met Eames head-on. Both were laughing as he picked her off the floor, spun once before embracing each other like old friends. "Look at you! My god."

Arthur looked to Dom who merely watched the two as if it happened all the time. "I thought you said I was the only one who knew," he stood beside Eames now, glancing between him and Dom.

"Knew what? That this one is our little dream baby?" Eames smoothed her hair behind an ear. She merely smiled before undoing what he just did. "Who do you think introduced her to the world? They needed someone with a hell of a lot of imagination to translate what she was born knowing to what she was born into. And yes, I do know what I just said. Cobbs needed a private tutor and I was their man and this here, this is my mirror-acle girl."

"And I never said you were the only one," Dom past them and readied the lab table with a covered sheet. "You needed to be the first to meet her today. Not the only one who knew. Ariadne, you ready?"

She looked around, shyly nodding before bringing her backpack in front. "Don't ask me how I got these but they're sanitized and ready set for injections. If the campus police come looking, I'm not here," and brought a kit full of medical syringes along with other supplies needed for the successful transfusions.

"Alright Arthur, you're going first. Eames second. Ariadne, you're going to help Maera with her syringe and when you're done come find us. Saito and Yusuf, let's get you informed on who you're all staring at."

And they were. All were watching Maera closely, imagining how she could be just as Arthur did. Only, Eames was already scooting a chair by the table and placing her next to him. They were so comfortable together. It was obvious, the way he playfully put his leg across hers, nudging them as if he wanted a foot massage. She just laughed and pushed him off before nearly falling from the chair along with it. He caught her even though she stopped herself long before he even reached for her, both were hysterically laughing now.

But Eames wasn't going to be the one to undergo the "extracted attachment" she and Arthur would. Dom specifically picked Arthur, which left him rather confused when her and Eames were obviously the better pair for this plan. Maera crossed her arms and leaned into them against the table. She smiled, motioning for him to sit by her. Ariadne was to the side, preparing three sharp needles. She took medical classes her freshman and sophomore year thinking that was what she wanted to do in life. But architecture was her passion, which she eventually choose.

"Arthur?" she prepared Maera's arm with alcohol. "Waiting on you."

He was already stepping into the table, avoiding a look from all of them.

Ariadne injected the largest needle into her arm. Maera watched it go in. She actually liked seeing the puncture but hated the pain. Her expression said it all. Arthur began unbuttoning his long sleeve, rolling it further up. They had to be the first to do the transfusion; everything depended on this. Ariadne gave him another alcohol swab so he could do it himself. She needed to focus on Maera. "Now remember, this is a two-way transfusion, your blood is going into hers and her blood into yours. So it's going to feel a little funny. And you're both going to be weak which is why Cobbs set up a room in the back. After you're done Arthur, you can go there while Maera stays and finishes with the others. I'm sure she'll be back there right after she's done as well."

"We're the only ones doing a two-way right?"

"Yes, Maera will just give a small amount to the others including me and Cobbs. You're the primary transfusion Arthur which means you'll be receiving more of her blood than the rest of us."

"You two are the special ones basically," Eames chuckled, massaging Maera's hand. She squeezed tighter as the needle went further. "How's it going over there Arthur?"

He hissed sharply, putting in his own needle. He had enough experience to be able to but since the point was a lot bigger than the usual ones, the pain was more. "Never better."

"Okay, got it. Now just sit close. You can lean into each other if you need to. It'll take five minutes. Want to be sure everything flows smoothly," she smiled, somewhat rushing. She didn't want to miss any more details Cobbs had already told the others. "Oh, Eames can you watch them and do your own needle when they're done?"

"But of course. Off you go, I got it covered," he pointed in the direction they were. She nodded gratefully before taking off. Eames looked back to them, raising his brow from the sight. "How are we doing?" They were so stiff.

Maera laughed weakly, frozen to the spot. Arthur kept his arm completely still as he slid closer to her. "It might help if we lean into each other?"

She nodded carefully. "But I don't think I can move."

"I'll come to you," he gently brought their shoulders together; leaning into her just as she gently did in return. "Better?"

"A little," she smiled, stretching her neck back and forth. "Maybe we should have picked a more comfortable spot. These chairs are killing my back."

Eames moved before they even noticed. He had set his seat behind hers. Their backs now pressed into each other. "Always glad to help," and dropped his neck back into hers.

"Why thank you," she smiled. Arthur still remained where he was, it was comfortable this way but awkward with Eames so close.

"Did Cobbs tell you exactly how this is going to work? He hasn't really been informative with me on everything," he relaxed even more as she balanced out their leaning with more from her side. "Unless you'd rather not talk about it now."

"I would but we have an eavesdropper attached to my spine," she moved her head to the side, motioning towards Eames.

"Hey," Eames almost turned around but quickly froze. He didn't want to cause them pain. "I know more than you think I know darling."

"I will though," she ignored him. "When I'm finished with everything. I'm sure we'll both be completely useless after this. But we'll be able to talk in the back room."

Arthur nodded, dark eyes held forward on the workshop. He could feel her observing his face. "Sounds good."

~ςξς~

The mirror's boundaries reached higher than the lilac stars breaking above. There was no reflection only that of another land. Paris. The Eiffel tower in the distance, lush land stretching out towards the observer, it was raining but still beautiful. The entire tower was lit from top to bottom. The visitors, created from her subconscious, all went straight to the elevator. She would have gone straight to the stairs. To climb the Tower had always been a dream of hers. Rather, it wasn't her dream but theirs. Either her mother's or her father's. Their dreams were her dreams. She was made from their minds.

"You love Paris just as much as we do."

And there she was. Her mother. Nearly identical in such tiny features only Dom could point out. Same eyes, same hair, same drive.

"Only what I can imagine, never know, never touch."

Mal leaned down, wrapped her warm arms around her daughter. "Never touch?" and reached out to the mirror, spreading her fingers wide and within seconds, the glass shards burst. Newly trimmed grass spread towards them, circling around. The tower was just waiting to be climbed. But Maera couldn't move. It wasn't real. None of it was real.

She turned to her mother, thick cover of water glazing over her green orbs. "This place is what you made. You created all of this. You created me and now you want to destroy us."

"Maera! Do not every say that. We love you more than you could possibly understand. You are our child, our daughter. We would give anything for you to stay with us. For you to meet your brother and sister, to live a life with your family. This will be the hardest thing we will ever do-"

"When?"

Four inches of snow now covered the European landmark. Rain frosted over.

Mal could not look at her, merely glance behind for Dom who had just turned the corner in the exact moment. They locked on, each knowing it was time. Maera followed her mother's gaze and slowly stood. She looked from one to the other, shaking her head. They were leaving, now.

"No! Please just stay a little longer. Not now!" She ran. Dom instantly catching her, holding her strong into his chest.

"If we don't go now, we won't be able to," he pulled back. One look into those sad, desperate eyes would be enough to forget. But this needed to happen. "We love you and always will."

"Always," Mal closed in, drenched in tears. Dom brought them both into his arms, nearly breaking himself.

Maera buried her face between them. Thoughts so crazed with desperation. Enough to present one idea that would change everything. She pulled back, grasping the concept further. Dom and Mal followed suit, almost reading her plans until she covered it with tears. "Can I go with you to the tracks?"

"Of course." They both nodded with hesitation. To see her at the last moment would be even more painful. Maera thought differently.

~ςξς~

The room was dark, cold and pleasantly inviting. Arthur lay flat on the worn mattress. The other bed was adjacent. It was already past midnight which meant the LA flight was in eight hours. Everything was ready. All except the complete plan. Cobbs was keeping them in the shadows. And Maera was the source of its darkness.

He kept his arms by his sides, trying to stay as still as possible. He had never given so much blood. And of course, he was never given so much in return. She was asleep now, just a few feet away. He's been watching her for awhile. Comparing the features, understanding her existence. He wanted to learn more, to know everything about her. Scientifically.

They talked for a few minutes. Basic knowledge which he could have easily learned from Dom. Not nearly enough. She couldn't keep her eyes open; he couldn't blame her. If he gave blood to all of them, they would have to carry him back here. Before he could ask more, she was already asleep. She was the key to unlocking all the things he wanted to know and she's too out of it to even dream. If she does dream.

"Hey," Eames knocked musically before entering through. "You up?"

Arthur sat upright, a little too quickly. "I am." He held his head from the sudden dizziness.

"Well don't hurt yourself on my account," he chuckled, sitting down by Maera's knees. "How's this one?"

"Out cold. She hasn't moved for hours. What about you? You feeling the transfusion?"

"No, I only received her blood, didn't give quarts and quarts like you did," he made small designs into her arm before scooting one of her bra straps back under the tank's sleeve. Arthur was practically glued to the movement.

Before he could stop himself, he already spoke. "You're more than just her teacher aren't you?"

Eames paused and looked to him, both staring at the other. But then Eames smirked. Chuckling quietly to himself. He let the other strap remain out of place and removed his hand. "What makes you say that?"

"The way you are with her. I'm surprised Cobbs didn't pick you to do this instead. I don't really know her and yet you know everything. You're the perfect choice. I don't know what he's thinking-"

"Can't argue with that. But he picked you Arthur not me. He knows what he's doing. He'd never do anything unless he thought it would benefit her. And he strongly believes you're the one to do just that."

Maera flinched, turning towards them with a frown present on her face. Eames stayed where he was, even as she swept her arm across his knee. He just traced her skin, still looking over her face: the answer to Arthur's question. Eames cared for Maera, much more than a teacher should for his student.

"She's dreaming," he straightened her fingers, waiting until they curled back then did so again and again. "Amazing isn't it? A girl created in a dream has the ability to dream herself. She doesn't tell me what they're about. But I guess we'll find out tomorrow won't we?"

Arthur sprung up, Eames merely stared as he walked over to the light. "What do you mean?"

"Turn off the light man. You want to wake her?"

"Cobbs said she was only going under to make sure the transfusions were effective. Nothing more. That's the whole reason we did the extracted attachment-"

"Will you keep your voice down. What are you even talking about? It's always been the plan to include her subconscious as one of the dream levels. The extraction can only work unless she's a part of this. She can't just be 'attached' to your side without involving her skills. We need her-"

"No, it's way too dangerous-"

"For who?"

"_For who_? For her!"

Maera squinted, opening her eyes painfully to the new brightness. She nearly kicked Eames off the bed from reflex. "What are you guys doing? What time is it?" Arthur opened the door and was ready to step out.

"Arthur? What's going on?" she sat up, Eames trying to help but she pulled away. "Why is he? Arthur-"

He was already out the door and searching for Cobbs. It was nearly morning, he should be up and preparing for the flight. Arthur wanted his questions answered now.


End file.
